Link-a-dink

Richard Leiby, now the WashPost's gossip columnist, was imbedded with U.S. troops during the first phase of fighting in Iraq. He has a fascinating piece in the Nov. 23, 2004, issue of Salon.com about "The Day I Almost Led the Iraqi Army:"

Few Americans realize how hungry, at one time, Iraqi military men were for direction of any kind. When I showed up in their midst a month after the Saddam statue fell, they started asking me - the only American most had probably ever seen except in combat - how they could get their message of cooperation to Garner.

It's so depressing to see how badly we fucked up, especially given how it's increasingly looking like we're going to wash our hands of the whole mess. For the whole piece, go to http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/112404L.shtml